What is broadband?

Broadband is a service that provides homes with an internet connection, usually via a phone line. Internet service providers (ISPs) are responsible for the supply of broadband, so you’ll need to sign up to a deal with one in order to get internet access.

There are plenty of ISPs in the UK supplying a fast and reliable broadband connection. To find a package that meets your internet needs, take a look at our comparison of the best broadband deals in the UK.

Broadband deals explained

The type of connection you have will determine the maximum internet speeds you can get access to. Broadband providers can offer either an ADSL connection or a fibre connection, but the broadband you’ll have access to will be limited to what’s available in your area. In this section, we’ll take you through the different types of broadband.

ADSL broadband

ADSL is also called standard broadband and has been the most widely-available type of connection for two decades. ADSL broadband uses copper cables to carry data and can provide an average download speed of around 10Mbps, making  it the slowest type of internet connection available. An ADSL connection is sufficient for an individual or small household that only uses the internet to send emails or browse the internet. If you’re a big household, a gamer, or use the internet for more than just browsing, upgrade to fibre broadband for a faster connection.

Fibre broadband

Fibre-optic broadband usually starts at around 30Mbps, which is three times faster than a standard broadband (ADSL) connection. There are two main types of fibre broadband:

Fibre-to-the-cabinet

A fibre-to-the-cabinet (FTTC) connection is the most common type of connection, offering between 30 and 70Mbps. FTTC connects your home to the internet using a combination of fibre-optic cables and copper cables. Fibre-optic cables carry data from the exchange to the green cabinet on your street, and copper cables carry it the rest of the way to your home. While FTTC is faster than an ADSL connection, it’s not the fastest.

Full Fibre or Fibre-to-the-premises

Full-fibre broadband, also referred to as fibre-to-the-premises (FTTP) broadband, is the fastest connection available because it runs completely on fibre-optic cables. FTTP provides download speeds from 100 to 1,000Mbps, ideal for gaming and streaming in 4K. It is often expensive as it requires fibre-optic cables to be laid all the way to your home.

Cable broadband

Cable broadband isn’t as fast as an FTTP connection but is slightly faster than FTTC. Cable broadband uses coaxial cables, which is an upgrade from copper cables, and can offer speeds from 36 to 500Mbps. The only major broadband provider currently offering cable broadband is Virgin Media.

Wireless broadband

Wireless broadband works with a wireless router that can transmit information through radio waves. A wireless broadband connection is the most common way of connecting your devices to the internet. Even though most of us only use wireless broadband, or Wi-Fi, there’s always the possibility to connect to the internet using an ethernet cable.

While using an ethernet cable may be inconvenient, an ethernet connection will usually provide faster average speeds with less interruption. Many internet connection issues are not caused by your service but by Wi-Fi, which is easily interrupted by obstructions such as stone walls. If you’re having problems with your connection, try using an ethernet cable to stabilise it.

How do I compare home broadband deals?

When comparing UK broadband providers, there are a few important aspects you should explore. Looking into monthly cost, availability, internet speeds, contract length, quality of customer service, bundle and package deals, and perks and extras could save you a fortune and make your life easier.

Price

Comparing prices across broadband deals is always important if you’re looking for good value for money. You might find that certain providers offer fast speeds for a lower price than their competitors. If you’re on a budget, opting for a budget-friendly deal is possible –  you just need to do your research.

Take a look at Plusnet, Vodafone, TalkTalk, Virgin Media and Hyperoptic to find a good value-for-money deal. Watch out for increases in price, as it’s not uncommon for providers to increase the monthly cost of a broadband deal after you’ve reached the end of your contract.

Availability

Use a postcode checker to find out which broadband packages are available in your area. Depending on where you live, you could get an FTTC or FTTP connection, but users in the most rural areas may still be limited to an ADSL connection.

Internet speeds

Take a look at the broadband speeds available in your area and consider which is the minimum speed you realistically need for a good internet connection. Internet speed is measured in megabits per second (Mbps), and more Mbps equates to a faster connection. Here’s a brief guide to help you understand the internet activity you can achieve within each speed range:

Upload speed is another factor to consider when choosing a broadband deal, though few providers make this detail clear when they advertise. Upload speeds reflect how quickly you can upload data to the internet, so they’re important if you have a YouTube channel or a SoundCloud account, for example. Fast upload speeds are often included in faster fibre broadband packages.

Contract length

Broadband contracts are typically 12-month or 18-month commitments, but can stretch up to 24 months in some cases. While some broadband plans come with a fixed minimum term, others are customisable. It’s not uncommon for longer contracts to have lower monthly costs, so it’s always worth looking into a long-term contract.

If you’re signed up to a fixed deal and want to cancel your internet contract at any point, you’ll need to give 30 days’ notice. Ending your deal mid-contract will probably mean paying an early termination fee, which could be hefty if there’s still a lot of time left on your contract. Certain providers offer a 30-day rolling contract, which is perfect if you want a flexible, commitment-free broadband plan, as ending it only means seeing out the last 30-day period.

Customer support

Finding out about a provider’s customer service is important, as you’ll most likely need assistance with your connection at some point. A good customer-support team will respond to any problem you are having and attempt to solve it as quickly as possible, whereas a bad one could cause you any number of problems.

Perks and extras

Get to know the perks and extras you can benefit from as a broadband customer. Extras can include offers and discounts via the provider’s mobile app, special offers for existing customers, and family packs. Occasionally, providers offer TV add-ons with their broadband offer, or a TV and broadband deal. This can significantly help reduce costs if you were already planning on getting a TV deal with access to channels and streaming apps.

Bundles and packages

Are you looking for a broadband-only deal or are you interested in add-on services such as a phone contract or TV set? On the one hand, bundle deals are good value for money, as you save money in the long run by adding all of your home services onto the same package. On the other hand, a standard broadband deal will be cheaper, and makes sense if you only really need an internet connection. Always consider what type of package will best suit your needs.

Compare UK broadband deals

There are plenty of reputable broadband providers in the UK offering competitive deals. The best internet deals can be found with BT, Virgin Media, Sky, TalkTalk, Plusnet, EE, Vodafone, NOW, Hyperoptic, Gigaclear, KCOM and Zen Internet. Here’s our comparison of the best broadband deals in the UK:

BT Broadband

BT offers an extensive choice of fibre broadband deals, with up to 900Mbps on some. The perks of being a BT Broadband customer include a minimum-speed guarantee, inclusive access to the BT Wi-Fi Hub, inclusive internet security and good customer support. To find out about BT internet packages available in your area, you’ll have to use an online postcode checker.

Virgin Media

Virgin Media bundles with TV and home phone services are competitive. The most popular Virgin bundles combine the internet plan of choice with TV channels, mobile contracts and home phone add-ons. Virgin offers five cable broadband plans and one full-fibre deal:

• M50, Virgin Fibre with up to 50Mbps
• M100, Virgin Fibre with up to 108Mbps
• M200, Virgin Fibre with up to 213Mbps
• M350, Virgin Fibre with up to 362Mbps
• M500, with up to 516Mbps
• Gig 1 Virgin Fibre, with up to 1000Mbps

Sky Broadband

Sky won the Uswitch award for Best Triple Play Provider in 2020 and was 2021’s Best Performing Provider thanks to its quality bundles with broadband, TV and home phone services. Sky bundles offer the internet speed of your choice, a phone line, hundreds of channels and the option of adding mobile contracts. With a Sky Broadband package, you could benefit from Sky Cinema, Sky Kids, Sky Sports and more.

Sky has three standard broadband packages, all on an 18-month contract, which can be combined with Sky TV if you want:

• Superfast Broadband, with up to 59Mbps
• Ultrafast, with up to 145Mbps
• Ultrafast Plus, with up to 500Mbps

TalkTalk

TalkTalk has three simple fibre broadband deals and offers customers inclusive internet access to its award-winning Wi-Fi hub. There are three average download speeds you can get from TalkTalk:

• Fibre 35, with up to 38Mbps
• Fibre 65, with up to 67Mbps
• Fibre 150, with up to 145Mbps

All TalkTalk broadband plans are 18-month contracts, which means they require a long-term commitment. TalkTalk offers alternative broadband packages that come with the TalkTalk TV 4K BOX, allowing you to stream over 30 apps on demand, watch 70+ channels, control your TV via the Amazon Alexa, and watch films in Ultra-HD. To find out which TalkTalk broadband and TV packages are available in your area, you’ll need to use an online postcode checker.

Plusnet

Plusnet has an excellent UK-based customer-service team offering consistent customer support from the day you join. Plusnet has also been awarded the 2021 Uswitch prizes for Most Popular Provider, Best Value for Money, and Broadband Provider of the Year. Plusnet offers three great value-for-money broadband deals:

• Unlimited Broadband, with up to 10Mbps
• Unlimited Fibre, with up to 36Mbps
• Unlimited Fibre Extra, with up to 66Mbps

You can choose a 12-month or 18-month contract with any Plusnet Broadband deal. A longer contract will mean a cheaper monthly cost.

EE

If you’re an EE Mobile customer, you’ll benefit from perks and extras with any EE Broadband deal. Extras include a 10% discount on your EE Broadband bill every month and up to 20GB extra mobile data every month. Use a postcode checker to find out about EE Broadband packages available in your area.

Vodafone

Vodafone offers good pay-monthly and SIM-only mobile plans. Vodafone internet speeds are quick, reaching heights of 900Mbps on certain deals if you’re using an ethernet cable. Other speeds offered by Vodafone are 35, 63, 100, 200 and 500Mbps.

Vodafone also offers a new pro package with a built-in Alexa system that helps you manage all your devices, run your schedule and set reminders. This package also includes an antivirus program, access to the Vodafone Wi-Fi Hub and up to three months of Apple TV+. Use a postcode checker to discover which Vodafone Broadband deals are available in your area. Note that Vodafone broadband deals have a minimum term of 24 months, which is a long-term commitment.

NOW Broadband

If you’re interested in getting a special offer on a home broadband and TV bundle, NOW might be a good fit for you. NOW offers broadband customers a reduced price on NOW TV for the first 12 months. NOW internet speeds range from low-to-medium, with the choice of either an ADSL or fibre-to-the-cabinet connection. There are three broadband plans to choose from, all of which can be purchased with the additional NOW TV feature:

• Brilliant Broadband, with up to 11Mbps
• Fab Fibre, with up to 36Mbps
• Super Fibre, with up to 63Mbps

Note that there’s a minimum term of 12 months with any NOW Broadband deal.

Hyperoptic

Hyperoptic specialises in full-fibre broadband and offers four fibre broadband services:

• Fast Hyperoptic, with up to 50Mbps
• Superfast Hyperoptic, with up to 150Mbps
• Ultrafast Hyperoptic, with up to 500Mbps
• Hyperfast Hyperoptic, with up to 900Mbps

Hyperoptic offers 12 and 24-month contracts as well as 30-day flexible rolling contracts. Hyperoptic’s one-month rolling contracts and any packages offering under 500Mbps require a one-off activation fee of £29.

Gigaclear

Gigaclear offers affordable full-fibre home broadband packages on an 18-month minimum-term contract. Here they are:

• Ultrafast 300, with up to 300Mbps
• Ultrafast 600, with up to 600Mbps
• Hyperfast 900, with up to 900Mbps

KCOM

KCOM is an award-winning supplier of full-fibre, and home broadband offering a wide range of broadband speeds. Average speeds on KCOM packages range from 30Mbps all the way up to 900Mbps.

Zen Internet

While Zen might be a lesser known ISP, the provider has won the 2021 Which? award for Recommended Provider of the Year. Zen prides itself on providing a full-fibre connection that never slows down your internet activity, even during peak hours. The provider also offers the option of an ADSL or FTTC connection.

What is the cheapest broadband deal in the UK?

The cheapest broadband is always changing,  but there are plenty of providers who commonly offer cheap deals. Take a look at Plusnet, Virgin Media, TalkTalk, BT, Hyperoptic and Vodafone to find a cheap broadband deal. Here’s a quick guide of some of the cheapest broadband-only deals available at the time of writing:

In order for broadband service to be cheap, it should ideally meet all of your internet needs while still offering the lowest price possible. It’s pointless getting a cheap deal that doesn’t meet your usage requirements.

What is the fastest broadband speed available in the UK?

Global Broadband Index figures show that UK citizens typically have access to download speeds of 55Mbps, and average upload speeds of 13Mbps. That said, 1Gbps is the fastest internet speed available in the UK. The government plans to make further improvements to infrastructure, and has set the aim of becoming a ‘gigabit nation’ by the end of 2025.

How do I find the best broadband deals in my area?

Use a postcode checker to find the best broadband services in your area.